NBA’s Most Clutch Players

By Paul Benedict

Tracy McGrady was magnificent in Games 1 and 2 for the Rockets., butanother loss could raise some concern on just how clutch T-Mac is.

I was inspired to write this piece after watching Tracy McGrady come upwith huge peformances in Houston’s two wins against Dallas last week.Since then, we have witnessed a number of players lift their teams tovictory with some inspiring clutch play: Damon Jones coming out ofnowhere to drop 32 on the Nets in Game 1 of Miami’s 1st Round sweep;Reggie Miller once again baffling everyone with 61 points in Games 2and 3 vs Boston; Ray Allen’s fallaway 3-pointer as the shot clockexpired to give the Sonics a 9 point lead with just 1:02 to go inSeattle’s comeback victory over Sacramento. It seems that in nearlyevery playoff game, someone is called upon to be the hero, to lifttheir team to victory when it matters the most. So I got to thinking–Who IS the NBA’s Most Clutch Player? It’s not an easy argument to saythe least, so allow me to break down the questions I asked myself whenmaking this list:

Which players have the richest history of clutch feats?Which players can be counted on for making clutch plays as of today?Who can turn it on for crucial stretches at a time, mainly the playoffs?Who is the best at hitting the big shots?Who can be relied upon the most for the last shot?Who thrives when the pressure is mounted the highest?

10. Robert HorryHorry seems like an ideal choice at number ten. Though he’s never beenmore than a role player for any team he’s been on, he has madecountless clutch contributions on his way to winning five championshiprings with the Rockets and Lakers. Most Knick fans will remember themoment Horry earned his reputation as a clutch performer, back in Game1 of the 1994 NBA Finals when “Big Shot Rob’s” 3-Pointer with secondsleft sealed up a Houston victory over the Knickerbockers. Most of usyounger guys think of the key plays Horry always came up with for theLakers during their run of 3 straight titles including the game-winningthree-pointer he hit with 0.6 seconds left in Game 4 against the Kingsin 2002 that would save the series for LA. And of course it was BigShot Rob nailing two huge 3-pointers and making a momentum-shiftingsteal in San Antonio’s enormous win over Denver on Saturday night, awin that likely will be the difference in the series. Horry may nothave ever been the guy relied upon to get you 30 points in aneliminaion game, but he has unquestionably created a legacy for himselfbased on his consistently brilliant clutch play.

9. Mike BibbyBibby’s reputation as a cool pressure player started his first year atArizona when he defied odds in leading the Wildcats to a surprisingtitle run despite being just a freshman point guard. He renewed thatstatus in 2002 as he spurred the Kings’ playoff run all the way to Game7 of the Western Conference Finals. With Peja Stojakovic hurting andChris Webber only able to get it done for 3 quarters at a time, Bibbystepped up and played extraordinary basketball (22.7 PPG in the seriesup from 13.7 in the regular season), hitting big shot after big shotfor the Kings during their unforgettable clash with the Lakers. Bibbywas equally impressive a year ago in the playoffs (20 PPG, 7 APG, 2SPG) as Sacramento pushed top-seeded Minnesota to a Game 7 beforefalling short yet again. It’s been this high level of play in crucialstretches that have enabled the Maloof Brothers to entrust Bibby as thetop dog on this Kings franchise. And despite an underwhelmingperformance in this year’s playoffs (down 3-1 to Seattle), you can berest-assured that the Kings will regroup soon and Mike Bibby will puthis stamp on another Sacramento playoff push.

8. Chauncey BillupsChauncey has had a knack for hitting the key shot throughout hiscareer, including numerous buzzer-beaters since landing on the Pistons.In the 2002-03 season, Billups hit 6 game-winning or game-tying shotsfor the Pistons and actually led the entire league with 11 game-tyingor lead-changing field goals with under 2 minutes left in the 4thQuarter. His clutch play hit top ten status a year ago, when heengineered the Pistons’ title run, earning NBA Finals MVP honors on theway. And Chauncey has done nothing to relinquish such acclaim thisseason as his under-pressure performances have become somewhat of aregularity at this point. On Sunday, he bailed out the Pistons withtheir backs against the wall by scoring 10 straight points in the last3 minutes of regulation thus sending the game into overtime where thePistons held off the 76ers and took a commanding 3-1 series lead. Ithink it’s fair to say that Chauncey has an excellent chance ofmarching up this ladder before the 2005 Playoffs are over.

7. Sam CassellCharles Barkley once said, “When Michael Jordan is on the floor withSam Cassell, Sam Cassell still thinks he’s the best player out there.”It’s been this kind of brash confidence that has enabled Sammy to stepup time and again with the game on the line, a reputation he hassustained since winning two rings with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995.Though he’s only been invited to one All-Star Weekend during his career(2004), he has been a key member of three different franchises thathave reached the Conference Finals. As a rookie with Houston duringtheir 1994 title run, Cassell was often left on the floor during crunchtime in favor of Kenny Smith because Rudy T realized he had a knack forhitting lighting it up in vital situations. In the 1995 NBA Finals,Cassell was again instrumental for the Rockets, pouring in 14.3 PPG andshooting 47% from 3-Point range despite averaging just 9.5 PPG andshooting 33% on threes during the regular season. In 2001, it wasCassell’s steady play at the point (17.4 PPG, 6.7 APG) that fueled theBucks’ run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. And last year,after playing his best basketball ever during the regular season forMinnesota, Cassell marched the ‘Wolves all the way to the WesternConference Finals where they lost to the Lakers. A hamstring injury toSammy is what ultimately did the ‘Wolves in, and not only he will tellyou that.

6. Tracy McGradyT-Mac may not have the resume of some of the guys on this list. Hell,he’s never even been beyond the first round of the Playoffs, but youcan’t tell me there’s a player you would rather put the ball into thehands of (save #2 on this list) with your team down one and needing abasket to win, than Tracy McGrady. Most NBA players will tell you he’sthe most difficult player to guard one-on-one in the NBA because of theswift release of his smooth jump shot, his exceptional ball-handlingskills for a player his size, and his outstanding athleticism. How manyother players can score 13 points in 35 seconds to win their team aball game? Who else has scored 89 points in back-to-back playoff gamesat the Palace? There’s no question that McGrady is still developinginto his own as a big-time superstar in this league. He vowed beforethis year’s playoffs to do anything and everything that would ensurehis Rockets succeed and that he would become the player they need himto be on the way. T-Mac’s word lived true in Games 1 and 2, but theMavericks have taken the series lead and now is the time that theRockets really need McGrady to do EVERYTHING if they want to advance to the next round.

5. Allen IversonTo sum up Allen Iverson’s career as a clutch player by highlightingsome of his greatest moments, that would not only take quite awhile,but it would also be superflous. AI’s entire career has been onegigantic clutch moment in NBA history. This is a player who has defiedall odds not only based on his physical limitations, but alsoconsidering that he’s carried an entire successful franchise on hisback for nine years by coming through time and time again when theyrely on him the most, which is 48 minutes a game, 82+ games a year.Despite never having a distinguished supporting case, Iverson hassingle-handedly lifted the 76ers into the playoffs five times, once asfar as the NBA Finals in 2001. And if you want to get into specifics,AI has hit numerous game-winning shots, he has gone off for 40 when his team needed him to, he has picked a player’s pocket on a crucialpossession, and he has certainly elevated his play for stretches at atime when you’re not sure even he could top himself. Haven’t you beenwatching this 76ers/Pistons series?

4. Reggie MillerReggie Miller’s legacy as one of the all-time greatest clutch playerswill live on forever because we will never, EVER stop seeing his goldenmoments from being played over and over and over again. Wherever there is a montage of classic playoff moments, Reggie’s 8 point outburst in 16.4 seconds against the Knicks at MSG will be included. Or perhapsthey’ll show the game-winning 3-pointer he sunk with 2.7 seconds leftto beat the Bulls in Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. Ormaybe the 25 4th Quarter points he dropped on the Knicks during Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals all while jawing back and forthwith Spike Lee. Or how about the 40-foot buzzer-beater against the Nets in 2002 to send the game into overtime, followed by the game-tying dunk with seconds left to send the game into double overtime? You get the point. Reggie Miller is a player that will forever be defined by hisability to reach from within and bring out the absolute best in himselfwhen the moment counted the most. And what’s perhaps most amazing about Reggie, is that at 39 years old and in his final season, he’s stilldoing it (61 points in 2 Pacer wins so far in this year’s playoffs). Inwhat’s been a storybook career for Reggie Miller, there still might beanother chapter to his legacy…

3. Shaquille O’NealShaquille O’Neal has earned a warranted reputation for being the mostdominant player of this era. There’s a reason why– Shaq turns it upwhen he wants, where he wants, and however much he wants it. Andconsidering that there’s no better time to put things in full throttlethan the NBA Finals, well, let the numbers speak for themselves: 31.oPPG (3rd All-Time; up from 26.7 PPG in regular season), 62% FGs (1stAll-Time; up from 57.9% in regular season), 3 NBA Finals MVPs, 3 Rings.If not for one detriment to his game, Shaq would unquestionably be #1on this list: he is a terrible free throw shooter. While he may claimto hit them when his team needs him to the most, the numbers simplydon’t lie: 53.1% for his career during the regular season; 51.8% forhis career in the playoffs. It is because of his poor free throwshooting that he’s rarely been looked upon to have the ball with onlyseconds left on the clock and that has to take away from his status asone of the most clutch players in the NBA. But if you’re looking for aplayer that can raise the level of his game to herculean levels forstretches at a time, there’s only one and his name is Shaquille O’Neal.

2. Kobe BryantUp until this season, I’m not sure anyone would have argued that withthe game on the line, there is another player you would rather havetaking the last shot than Kobe Bryant. Aside from being arguably thetoughest player to man up in the NBA, Kobe also has an ability to bustout the unthinkable play that nobody else has since Michael Jordan. Howmany times have we watched him seemingly hang in the air only to makethe spectacular ‘and one’? Or bang back-to-back desperation jumpers tosuddenly shift the momentum of the game? What really separates KobeBryant from everyone else as a clutch player is his level ofcompetitiveness and determination, one that we haven’t seen since Mike. It’s like this indescribable drive from within that almost makes itfeel as though he’s destined to win. Is there another player that makesyour heart beat faster, for better or worse, than Kobe Bryant as hedribbles out the clock preparing to make his final move to win thegame? Think about it– there’s nobody. And no matter how much you may want to attribute the success of the Lakers to the Big Fella, KobeBryant was the go-to guy down the stretch in the midst of a dynastyrun. Nobody else in the league can make that claim.

1. Tim DuncanDuncan takes the number one spot, barely. Though he usually isn’t GregPopovich’s choice to take the final shot of a game, his ability toraise the level of his play on both ends of the floor when it mattersmost is enough for me to award him the title of NBA’s Most ClutchPlayer. While the Big Fundamental shared most of the spotlight withDavid Robinson during the Spurs’ 1999 title run, he essentially carriedthe team on his back throughout the entire 2003 championship seasonthus earning MVP honors in both the regular season and Finals thanks toa legendary 21 point, 20 rebound, 10 assist, and 8 block performance inthe deciding 6th game. Though San Antonio has met its share of playoffdisappointment, TD has never failed to do everything in his will totake them to the promised land (career in playoffs: 23.9 PPG, 13.1 RPG,2.9 BPG compared to 22.5 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.5 BPG in regular season). Hegets the top nod over Shaq and Kobe for two reasons: 1) He has been the lone star in San Antonio for the better part of his career; 2) Hisleadership and confidence in clutch situations have also brought outthe best in the teammates surrounding him. While Shaq and Kobe arephysically more gifted and talented, Duncan has always been the betterleader and that’s why we constantly see the Spurs exceedingexpectations every season despite what appears to be a plain team onpaper.

Cool, calm, and collected, nobody comes through better in the clutchthan Tim Duncan.